Trei Ierarhi Monastery in Iași: Moldavia’s church of carved stone
Trei Ierarhi Monastery (Mănăstirea Sfinții Trei Ierarhi) stands in the historic centre of Iași, Romania, and is known for a church whose outer walls are covered in stone carving from base to roof. Prince Vasile Lupu built it in the 1630s, and it shelters the tombs of Dimitrie Cantemir and Alexandru Ioan Cuza, first ruler of the united principalities.
Its walls are carved with more than 30 bands of ornament that never repeat, and its gate tower once held the first public clock in the Romanian Principalities, now in France.
The history of Trei Ierarhi Monastery
The church was built between 1637 and 1639 in the Moldavian capital by Prince Vasile Lupu, as a princely burial church and a statement of his ambition to follow the Byzantine world. It honours the Three Holy Hierarchs of the Orthodox Church, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, and was blessed in 1639 by Metropolitan Varlaam. Lupu, known as a defender of Orthodoxy, dedicated the foundation to the twenty monasteries of Mount Athos.
Soon the church became a cultural centre. In 1640 the prince set up the first printing press in Moldavia here, together with the Vasilian College, a school of higher learning. The press was brought from Kiev with the help of Metropolitan Petru Movilă, and among its first books were the first printed work in Moldavia, in Greek, and Varlaam’s celebrated Cazanie. In 1642 an Orthodox synod met in the former refectory, today the Gothic Hall, and adopted a famous confession of faith.
In June 1641 the relics of Saint Parascheva arrived. The Patriarchate of Constantinople sent them in gratitude for Vasile Lupu’s generous gifts; they travelled by ship across the Black Sea to Galați and then to Iași, and were placed in the church on 13 June. They were moved to the Metropolitan Cathedral after its consecration in 1887. The monastery suffered looting and fire at the hands of invaders in 1650 and 1686, and earthquakes shook it in 1711, 1781, 1795 and 1802.
A major restoration of the architecture took place between 1882 and 1887, led by the French architect André Lecomte du Nouy. The interior painting and furnishing continued until 1898, and the church was consecrated again in 1904. The restoration was controversial and cost the church its original interior painting, though some fragments are kept in the monastery museum; the debate it provoked helped shape ideas about protecting historic monuments in Romania. The gate tower, which held a public clock installed in 1654, no longer exists. After a long period as a church only, the monastery was re-established in 1991, and the complex is on Romania’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage.
Curiosities about Trei Ierarhi Monastery
- The façades carry more than 30 registers of decorative motifs that do not repeat, mixing Gothic and Renaissance elements with Armenian, Georgian, Persian and Ottoman influences.
- In the gate tower Vasile Lupu installed a large clock in 1654, the first public clock in the Romanian Principalities. During the 1882 restoration the mechanism was taken to France, where it stayed.
- On 24 February 1821 Alexander Ypsilantis issued a proclamation here calling on Greeks and Christians to rise against the Ottomans, the start of the Greek revolution of 1821.
- Inside lie Dimitrie Cantemir, the prince and scholar, and Alexandru Ioan Cuza, first ruler of the united Romanian principalities, as well as members of Vasile Lupu’s family.
- The relics of Saint Parascheva rested here from 1641 until the Metropolitan Cathedral was consecrated in 1887.
- The church inspired later buildings, including the monastery church of Cetățuia, near Iași, and the church of Putna.
Tours near Trei Ierarhi Monastery
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Trei Ierarhi Monastery: what to see
- Take time over the exterior: the stone carving covers all four façades, including the buttresses, and is best seen close up and in good light.
- Inside, the church holds the tombs of Cuza, Dimitrie Cantemir and the family of Vasile Lupu; it is an active place of worship, so dress and behave respectfully.
- Beside the church is the Gothic Hall, the former refectory, which houses a museum of religious art with objects from the monastery’s history.
- The monastery stands on Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Boulevard, in the traditional centre of Iași; Golia Monastery is about 1 km away and the Lions’ Obelisk about 2 km.
- Check the current opening hours before you go.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Trei Ierarhi Monastery is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Trei Ierarhi Monastery
Questions
What is Trei Ierarhi Monastery in Iași?
It is a 17th-century Orthodox monastery in the centre of Iași, built by Prince Vasile Lupu between 1637 and 1639 and famous for the carved stone ornament on its façades.
Who is buried at Trei Ierarhi Monastery?
The church holds the tombs of Dimitrie Cantemir, of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, first ruler of the united Romanian principalities, and of members of Vasile Lupu’s family.
Why is Trei Ierarhi Church so famous?
Its façades are covered from base to top with stone carving in more than 30 non-repeating bands, blending Western and Eastern styles. The church also housed Moldavia’s first printing press.
What are the Three Hierarchs?
They are Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, saints of the Orthodox Church to whom the church is dedicated.
Is Trei Ierarhi Monastery a UNESCO site?
It is not yet inscribed, but it is on Romania’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage and is a listed historic monument.
What can you see near Trei Ierarhi Monastery?
Golia Monastery is about 1 km away, the Lions’ Obelisk about 2 km, and Cetățuia Monastery about 3 km.
Also nearby
Golia Monastery
Iași · walled monastery with a 120-step tower
650 m away
Lions’ Obelisk
Iași · four lions and an obelisk in Copou Park
2.5 km away
Cetățuia Monastery
Iași · fortified monastery on a hill above the city
3 km away
Eiffel Bridge, Ungheni
Iași · metal border bridge over the Prut, Bridge of Flowers
16 km away